When a jet-powered aircraft lands, the landing gear brakes and aerodynamic drag (e.g., flaps, spoilers, etc.) of the aircraft may not, in certain situations, be sufficient to slow the aircraft down in the required amount of runway distance. Thus, jet engines on most aircraft include thrust reversers to enhance the braking of the aircraft. When deployed, a thrust reverser redirects the rearward thrust of the jet engine to a generally or partially forward direction to decelerate the aircraft. Because at least some of the jet thrust is directed forward, the jet thrust also slows down the aircraft upon landing.
Various thrust reverser designs are commonly known, and the particular design utilized depends, at least in part, on the engine manufacturer, the engine configuration, and the propulsion technology being used. Thrust reverser designs used most prominently with jet engines fall into the three general categories: (1) cascade-type thrust reversers; (2) target-type thrust reversers; and (3) pivot door thrust reversers. Each of these designs employs a different type of moveable thrust reverser component to change the direction of the jet thrust.
Cascade-type thrust reverses are normally used on high-bypass ratio jet engines. This type of thrust reverser is located on the circumference of the engine's midsection and, when deployed, exposes and redirects air flow through a plurality of cascade veins. The moveable thrust reverser components in the cascade design includes several translating sleeves or cowls (“transcowls”) that are deployed to expose the cascade vanes.
Target-type reversers, also referred to as clamshell reversers, are typically used with low-bypass ratio jet engines. Target-type thrust reversers use two doors as the moveable thrust reverser components to block the entire jet thrust coming from the rear of the engine. These doors are mounted on the aft portion of the engine and may form the rear part of the engine nacelle.
Pivot door thrust reversers may utilize four doors on the engine nacelle as the moveable thrust reverser components. In the deployed position, these doors extend outwardly from the nacelle to redirect the jet thrust.
The primary use of thrust reversers is, as noted above, to enhance the braking of the aircraft, thereby shortening the stopping distance during landing. Hence, thrust reversers are usually deployed during the landing process to slow the aircraft. Thereafter, when the thrust reversers are no longer needed, they are returned to their original, or stowed, position. In the stowed position, the thrust reversers do not redirect the jet engine's thrust.
The moveable thrust reverser components in each of the above-described designs are moved between the stowed and deployed positions by actuators. Power to drive the actuators may come from a dual output power drive unit (PDU), which may be electrically, hydraulically, or pneumatically operated, depending on the system design. A drive unit train that includes one or more drive mechanisms, such as flexible rotating shafts may interconnect the actuators and the PDU to transmit the PDU's drive force to the moveable thrust reverser components.
Each of the above-described thrust reverser system configuration is robustly designed and is safe and reliable. Nonetheless, analysis has shown that secondary damage to various portions of the thrust reverser system may result under certain postulated circumstances. For example, if one of the actuators coupled to one of the PDU outputs becomes jammed, it is postulated that all of the drive force supplied from the PDU could be concentrated, via the synchronization mechanisms, on the jammed actuator. This postulated condition may result in damage to the actuator system components, including the PDU, actuators, drive mechanisms, or to the movable thrust reverser components. Repairing such damage can be costly and result in aircraft down time. One solution is to use stronger components, but this increases the cost and/or weight of the thrust reverser system. Another solution is to include numerous, independently operated torque limiters or decoupler assemblies in each drive train coupled to the PDU outputs. However, this solution may also increase system cost and/or weight.
Accordingly, there is a need for a thrust reverser system that improves upon one or more of the drawbacks identified above. Namely, a system that reduces the likelihood of component damage if the thrust reverser system fails, for example, by a jammed actuator, without significantly increasing the cost and/or the weight of the thrust reverser system components. The present invention addresses one or more of these needs.